Interim Jefferson Principal Named for Year Ahead; Former Principal Remains on Leave

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith made an unsurprising announcement this afternoon that Toni Hunter, deputy district superintendent, would remain at Jefferson High School as interim principal for the upcoming school year. Smith also announced that the former Jefferson principal, Cynthia Harris, would remain on leave. But the announcement didn't say whether that was paid leave.

PPS first put Harris on paid administrative leave in May at the same time the school district released a troubling audit of Jefferson's student body funds. Jefferson of course faces a make-or-break decision in the months ahead as to its ultimate fate under the stalled high-school redesign.

Today's announcement from the school district says Hunter, a former longtime principal at Grant High School, will also continue to serve as deputy superintendent at the district and that Harriet Adair, a part-time adviser to the superintendent for K-8 schools, will assist Hunter in her central-office duties.

Margaret Calvert and Ricky Allen, two additional administrators at Jefferson in the 2009-2010 school year, also will remain at Jefferson. That means the school with fewer than 500 students will have three administrators.

Hunter's salary was $130,000, as of June.

Photo of Cynthia Harris with then Superintendent Vicki Phillips in 2007, when Harris first became Jefferson's principal.